An amendment added to the House version of a must-pass national defense bill calls for more research and scrutiny into cancer concerns among troops who worked with America’s nuclear missiles.
A provision added by Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., in the House draft of the annual legislation seeks to review the occupational health and safety conditions of the facilities where troops oversee and work on the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. The issue hit close to home for the retired Air Force brigadier general and commander turned lawmaker.
“I met a constituent who was dying from cancer a few months back, and it inspired my amendment on the ICBM cancer study,” Bacon told Military.com in a statement. “He was terminal and had strong beliefs that the ICBM crews were dying of cancer at a higher rate and at younger ages than the population at large.”
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Bacon’s amendment added to the House draft of the National Defense Authorization Act comes amid an ongoing Air Force study into growing cancer concerns among those who work with the nuclear missiles.
Military.com shed light on these concerns in an in-depth investigative series that revealed prior warnings about potential cancer concerns due to carcinogenes in the Cold War-era facilities which went ignored for two decades and exposure to toxins was not taken seriously among current and former maintenance workers.
That exposure included well-documented interactions with carcinogens ranging from polychlorinated biphenyls, known as PCBs, and asbestos to smoke inhalation from burnt paper tapes, biological exposure from standing water and even sewage backup, pesticides and herbicides.
A staff member in Bacon’s office told Military.com that the Air Force’s current study was “commendable,” but there are some concerns.
“The first is that the Air Force has not looked thoroughly enough at the many types of toxins and carcinogens that could impact missileers,” the staffer said. “Concerns about asbestos and other carcinogenic chemicals, water quality, and air quality from closed burning in the capsules are just a few of the concerns that the Air Force needs to look into.”
One recent independent study first reported on by Military.com examined a database of those diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana and found service members were diagnosed at younger ages compared to the wider population.
“There are concerns about the methodology and rigor of the study that the Air Force is conducting,” the staffer added.
The Torchlight Initiative, a grassroots organization of current and former service members who’ve worked with the nation’s land-based nuclear missiles, praised Bacon’s amendment in a statement provided to Military.com. One of their members, retired Col. Michael Yamzon, has been diagnosed with mesothelioma and is one of Bacon’s constituents.
“As [Yamzon] confronts service-related mesothelioma, his advocacy highlights the very heart of this legislation: Making sure that every ICBM service member and their family receive the recognition, support, and care they deserve — never overlooked or left waiting due to gaps in research or bureaucratic delays,” the Torchlight Initiative said in a statement.
“This amendment plays a crucial role in protecting the health of both current and former members of the missile community who have endured hazardous environments for years,” the group added.
Bacon’s amendment comes after the Torchlight Initiative has made more frequent visits and appearances on Capitol Hill in recent months, aiming to expand benefits, research and investigations under the existing 2022 toxic exposure law known as the PACT Act.
While the PACT Act mostly focused on burn pits and chemical exposure overseas, advocates from Torchlight and other veterans service organizations want increased awareness on domestic incidents, as well as occupational-related illnesses such as traumatic brain injury and radiation exposure.
“I recall meeting victims of cancer when I was a commander. … They were in the Middle East near burn pits,” Bacon told Military.com. “They had terminal cancer from the service they gave our country. They deserved better.”
Bacon’s amendment wouldn’t be a redo of the Air Force’s study but would task the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to review the health and safety conditions of the facilities as well as the methodology behind the service’s probe.
The amendment passed out of committee but must still pass the House and be agreed to by the Senate in the final bill, which will become law.
Related: Troops, Veterans Advocates Want to See the PACT Act Better Track Toxic Exposures
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